An adapter of the type to which the present invention relates is illustrated in the referenced European Patent 179 473, Rasch et al, assigned to the assignee of the present application. The adapter as known has a two-part housing. The lower part of the housing has a base which is threaded for threaded reception in a standard lightbulb socket of the Edison type. The upper part of the housing for the adapter is arranged to receive a guide plate, or guide post, of a compact fluorescent lamp and is formed with openings to permit passage of terminal contact pins into the interior of the adapter housing. The interior of the adapter housing retains a circuit board, typically a printed circuit board, on which electrical and electronic components are secured, designed to operate the compact fluorescent lamp from standard residential supply networks, for example 110 V, 60 Hz. Reception terminals are located within the housing, secured to the printed circuit board, and positioned to receive the contact pins of the fluorescent lamp. The reception terminals have spring contacts to engage against the contact pins from two sides.
It has been found in use that insertion, and particularly repeated insertion of a fluorescent lamp for which the adapter is intended, exerts a substantial pressure on the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board, thus, is subject to bending, resulting in damage to the circuits thereon, which, in turn, leads to failure of the electrical operation of the adapter.